Cessna 170 accident near Enterprise, Oregon, September 22, 1996
On September 22, 1996 at about 6:25 pm local time, a Cessna 170, registered N2496D, was substantially damaged in an accident near Enterprise, Oregon (Pittsburg airport). It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
the pilot's misjudgment of speed and distance during the approach/landing, his failure to attain a proper touchdown point during the landing, and his failure to go around (while there was sufficient runway remaining). The short runway was a related factor.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- September 22, 1996 · about 6:25 pm local time
- Place
- Enterprise, Oregon · Pittsburg · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Cessna 170 · all 170s on the register
- Registration
- N2496D · no longer on the register · serial 20648
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The pilot initiated a landing on a 1050 foot runway. He said the brakes locked near the end of the landing roll, and the airplane flipped over. A state policeman documented that the airplane first touched down about half way down the runway and that the wheels were locked during the entire landing roll.
The complete narrative as the NTSB published it. The NTSB's docket holds the report as a PDF and any photographs, statements and other documents from the investigation.
The factual record from the NTSB's investigation tables, in plain English
Pilot
- Certificate: commercial pilot
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 1,245 hours in all; 58 in this make and model; 80 in the last 90 days; 28 in the last 30 days; 1,220 as pilot in command
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (valid medical--no waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 4,100 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, June 11, 1996; 45 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 2,200 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Continental C-145-2 (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: 25U Imnaha OR at 6:00 pm
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 30, 1,050 ft by 75 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 135° at 15 knots
- Visibility: 50 statute miles
- Sky: scat at 6,500 ft
- Temperature: 75°F (24°C), dew point 0°F (-18°C)
- Altimeter: 30.00 inHg
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 1 |
Documents from the investigation the NTSB's docket: the evidence folder behind the report
The docket, the folder of records gathered during an investigation (maintenance records, photographs, witness statements, examinations), has not been read from the NTSB for this case yet; the list appears here once it has. Open the docket at the NTSB.
Everything on this page comes from the NTSB's public records. The narrative, probable cause and findings are the NTSB's own words; the coded tables behind the report are written out in plain English, with pilots' ages, home towns and medical details left out. The documents and photographs are the NTSB's docket, shown as the NTSB released them. This site's own text never names anyone involved. A preliminary report can change; the final report usually follows one to two years later, and the page is refreshed when it does.